Lagging of typing in MSWord

Question

Lagging of typing in MSWord

Derick Seagers 10

When typing a document or editing an existing document, the typing lags, making it very frustrating. I have tried to repair this online, but the problem continues. Please help

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3 answers

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Answer 1

Stefan Blom 339.3K MVP Volunteer Moderator

Does this issue affect long and short documents equally? In that case, I would recommend that you troubleshoot add-ins. See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/word/issues-when-start-or-use-word.

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Answer 2

Jerald Felix 11,550 Volunteer Moderator

Hello Derick Seagers,

To fix this issue, follow these steps:

Close all instances of Word.
Restart Word, and then open a new blank document.
On the Review tab, select All Markup in the Tracking group.
Select Show Markup, and then set Balloons to Show only comments and formatting in balloons.
Use File > Open to open the problematic document.

At this point, Word should be responsive. You can now accept or reject any changes, and remove comments.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix

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Answer 3

Michelle-N 15,545 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Derick Seagers

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I completely understand how disruptive that can be when you're trying to get work done. This kind of lag usually points to something going on with your local machine. To help me narrow down what might be happening, could you please tell me which version of Word you're using and what version of Windows you're running? However, before you provide further information, I kindly request you to try some of the following troubleshooting steps, which I believe may be effective in resolving the issue for you.

1.Remove the Default Template file > Open File Explorer by pressing Win + E > The file path can vary depending on your specific Windows version. You'll typically find the Normal.dotm file (for Word 2007/10/13 or higher) at these locations:

For most Windows versions: C:\Users[Username]\appdata\Microsoft\Templates

Specifically on Windows 10/11, you might find it here: C:\Users[Your User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

Find the file named Normal.dot or Normal.dotm, and delete it or rename it (e.g., to Normal.old) > Restart Microsoft Word. 2. Clean up the Temporary files > Press and hold Windows + R > Type cleanmgr and press Ok > Select the drive where Windows is installed (usually C:) > Click OK > select the Temporary files option > Click OK and then Delete Files to clean up the temporary files.

Enter the safe mode and check the situation > Press and hold Windows + R > Enter winword/safe > enter the Word safe mode to check the usage. If it is normal, check File > Options > Add-ins > COM add-ins > uncheck all add-ins > OK > restart Word

Based on my research, other users on this forum have experienced similar typing lag in Word and found solutions. Please take a look at the following link: Laggy Word operation - Microsoft Q&A

I hope this information can help you to solve your issue soon. If the issue persists, please feel free to send me more information.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Michelle-N 15,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-26T10:28:57.33+00:00

Hi @Derick Seagers

Just checking in to see if the above information was helpful.

If you have any further updates on this issue, please feel free to post back.

If you think my reply is helpful to you, please remember to mark it as an answer. Warm thanks.
Michelle-N 15,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-30T02:25:02.33+00:00

Hi @Derick Seagers

Is there any update from you?

If yes, please feel free to let us know.
Derick Seagers 10 Reputation points

2025-07-02T11:13:29.3133333+00:00

I have tried everything and nothing helps. What I have realised is that when I purchased MS365, I used an email address that is now shown when I open settings. However, I have another email address for Outlook. When I sign in to communicate with you guys it only recognises my Outlook email. Could this be part of my problem and how do I fix it? Appreciate your help.
Jerald Felix 11,550 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-07-02T11:20:37.15+00:00
Hello Derick Seagers,

Thanks for providing more context.

Yes, the account mismatch could be contributing to the issue — especially if your Office apps (like Word) are licensed under one Microsoft account but you're signing in with a different Outlook account for support or services. This can sometimes cause syncing delays, feature restrictions, or activation-related lag.

Here’s what you can try:

Check the Account Used for Activation

Open Word > Go to File > Account

Under Product Information, make sure it shows “Microsoft 365 Subscription” and check the email address listed.

Sign Out of All Accounts

In Word, go to the top-right corner > Click on your name > Sign out of all accounts.

Then, sign back in only with the account used to purchase your MS365 subscription (the one shown under Settings).

Clear Credentials (Windows Only)

Go to Credential Manager > Windows Credentials

Remove any saved Office-related credentials to prevent conflicts

Restart Word and sign in again.

Repair Office

Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features

Select Microsoft 365 > Change > Choose Quick Repair (or Online Repair if needed)

If you're still experiencing typing lag after trying these steps, you might also want to disable any third-party add-ins and check whether the issue persists in Safe Mode (hold Ctrl while opening Word).

Hope this helps!

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix
Derick Seagers 0 Reputation points

2025-07-02T12:46:36.1233333+00:00

Thanks Jerald I will try your solution. I need to let you know that I purchased MS365 with my Gmail.com account while I was working. I am now retired and have opened an outlook.com account for my emails. I am not tech savvy, but I am confused. I still need my outlook.com account for my emails and don't wish to change it.
Derick Seagers 0 Reputation points

2025-07-02T13:28:21.2133333+00:00

Hi, Jerald, I seem to be stuck as in restart it asks me for a product key. I purchased MS365 online. Where can I find the product key?
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Derick Seagers 10 Reputation points

2025-07-04T07:08:20.27+00:00

Hi again, I have reinstalled Windows and Microsoft 365 on my laptop. When I start a new document in Word, there is no lagging in the text. When I edit an old document the lagging is still there. Any suggestions? I have copied and pasted into a new document but the lagging persists.
Michelle-N 15,545 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-08T10:00:49.2533333+00:00

Hi @Derick Seagers

Thank you for your updating.

Since the error persists with a specific file even after a reinstallation, I think the cause is likely a formatting issue within the document itself. Please try the troubleshooting steps below:

⁃ Please try to Paste as Plain Text: When you do a standard copy-paste (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V), you bring over all the text, formatting, comments, tracked changes, and other hidden data. The fix is to strip all of that away > Open the old, lagging document > Press Ctrl + A to select all the content > Press Ctrl + C to copy it > Open a new, blank Word document > Go to the Home tab, click the arrow under the Paste button, and select the "Keep Text Only" option If you want to try to fix the original document without losing formatting, investigate these causes directly within the old file.

⁃ Track Changes and Comments: Open the lagging document > Go to the Review tab > In the "Changes" section, click the arrow under Accept and choose "Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking" > In the "Comments" section, click the arrow under Delete and choose "Delete All Comments in Document" > Save the document (perhaps with a new name) and test the typing speed.

⁃ Corrupted or Excessive Formatting and Styles: Select a paragraph that is lagging > Go to the Home tab > Click the "Clear All Formatting" button (it looks like an 'A' with an eraser).

Please give those troubleshooting steps a try. If the issue persists, please feel free to provide us with any additional details. Thank you for your understanding.
Derick Seagers 10 Reputation points

2025-07-08T19:30:57.38+00:00

Many thanks for this. I have tried all the steps but the lagging persists. My wife has an Acer laptop, and we share the Microsoft 365 package. When I edit the same documents on her laptop there is no lagging. I save the docs on an external hard drive and copy them onto her desktop. I am desperate.

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Lagging of typing in MSWord

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